What Parents Should Do In A School Emergency

In the event of a school emergency, parents and families can support the District and their student(s) by remaining calm and waiting for accurate information to be sent through the District’s Blackboard system. The message will provide as much detail as is available at the time. Additional messages will be sent alerting families to what is taking place and next steps. In some cases the District’s website and social media sites will be used to communicate information. 

Though it is natural for you as a parent or guardian to want to come to the school or call the school during an emergency, we encourage you to support the District by doing the following: 

Please do not come to the school. 

We understand your desire to go to the school and the need to see your child especially in a situation that feels scary. However, arriving at the scene before it is secure can interfere with the emergency response and puts you in danger. Past school emergencies have shown that one of the greatest challenges is how to manage the number of parents and concerned citizens rushing to the scene. By rushing to the school, parents can unintentionally create traffic jams that may block emergency responders from getting to the school or leaving if necessary to transport injured students or staff to emergency medical facilities. Families should not pick up their student nor approve of them to leave school grounds until direction is given from the District. 

Please do not call the school. 

We ask that families do not call the school. This allows phone lines to stay open for communication with emergency personnel and school officials. it also helps school staff to remain focused on the safety of their students. The school and District will ensure information is shared via our Blackboard messaging system. 

If your child texts or calls you, please keep them calm. 

We know that during a school emergency many of our students will try to call or text their parent or guardian. If this occurs, we ask that you stay calm and reassuring. Encourage your student to follow the directions of school staff. To prevent confusion or added safety risks, ask them to turn off their cell phone and refrain from using social media.  We make it a priority to communicate with parents/guardians as soon as practical when there is a safety concern at the school. This will occur once measures have been taken to respond to the emergency to help ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors, and when accurate information is confirmed. We realize that students often text or call parents when the school implements a safety protocol. Please know that we do our best to communicate specifics with students in a timely manner. However, your child may not have all of the information and may unknowingly share incomplete or inaccurate information with you. 

Make sure your contact information and all emergency contact information is accurate and updated. 

The District will contact families when there is an emergency situation at a school. It is important parents/guardians check their contact preferences in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. This information is used to send timely information by text, email, and automated phone calls. If we do not have accurate information, you may not get important information from your student’s school or the District.